Today's elections for Amber Valley Borough Council have been dubbed as "among the ones to watch across the country" - so it's important to have your say.

As it stands, the authority is a two-party affair with the 45 seats split between the Conservatives and Labour - 23 seats to 22 respectively.

A win or loss of one seat across the 15 being contested could change which political party pulls the strings for the next year.

Across the borough, 62 polling stations in a variety of venues will be open from 7am to 10pm.

Amber Valley has a thirds system which means a third of the council - one of three councillors in each ward - is up for election. The fourth year in the cycle, such as 2017, lies fallow with no local elections.

Derbyshire County Council holds elections for the whole council every four years and these took place last year. This means anyone eligible to vote in county council elections will NOT vote in 2018.

Here are some commonly-asked questions, especially from first-time voters:

Q: How will I know where to vote?

A: Your poll card will have been sent to the address where you are registered. It will advise where your polling station is situated. You are only able to vote at the polling station stated on your poll card.

Q: Can I vote any time during the day?

A : Yes you can go along any time between 7am and 10pm but plan what time you will be able to cast your vote at the polling station. Sometimes it is best to go during the day, as inevitably there can be more people attending first thing in the morning on the way to work and in the evening on the way back from work.

But DON’T forget to leave plenty of time before the 10pm deadline.

Q: What if there is a queue at the polling station and its gets to 10pm?

A: If you are in a queue at your polling station at 10pm you will still be able to vote. But If you arrive at the polling station after 10pm then the poll will be closed and you will have missed your chance to take part.

Q: Is it too late to return my postal vote now?

A: Ideally, it should have been returned as soon as possible after you received it.

But any outstanding postal vote should to be taken to the polling station in your area by 10pm. Postal votes that arrive after that time will not be counted.

Q: What if I have appointed a proxy person to vote for me in the election?

A: If you have appointed a proxy, then they need to make sure they are able to vote at the correct polling station on your behalf. It is too late to apply for a proxy vote.

They should have received a proxy poll card telling them where and when to cast their vote for you.

If they haven’t received a proxy poll card, they should check with Amber Valley Borough Council and staff there will be able to tell them where to go to vote.

Despite appointing a proxy, you can still vote in person as long as you do so before they vote on your behalf

Q: What happens if I intend to vote but emergency circumstances on the day or beforehand stop me from doing so?

A: If you are suddenly unable to vote in person because you have a medical emergency which prevents you from attending on polling day, or your occupation, service or employment means that you cannot go to the polling station in person, and you only become aware of that fact after the deadline, then you may be entitled to appoint an emergency proxy.

You can apply for an emergency proxy up until 5pm on polling day. You should contact the elections office directly to ask about this.

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A: When you head to vote just take your polling card with you to show the polling station staff when you arrive. They will still ask for you to confirm your name and address. If you don’t have it with you, just tell the polling station staff your name and your address and they can check whether you are on the register.

The staff at the polling station will give you a ballot paper listing the candidates you can vote for. Staff will be on hand to provide advice on the voting process.

Q: If I am disabled and find the process awkward can I take anyone along to help me?

A: If you are disabled, you can ask the presiding officer for help and they can mark the ballot paper for you.

Or you can also ask someone else to help you such as a support worker, as long as they are either a relative or an eligible elector.

If you have a visual impairment, you can ask to see a large print ballot paper or you can ask for a special voting device that allows you to vote on your own in secret.